How to Increase Anandamide Naturally: What the Research Shows

Anandamide is often called the “bliss molecule”. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning joy. It is one of the body’s own endocannabinoids, a messenger that helps regulate mood, stress, motivation and appetite. This guide explains what anandamide does, how it makes you feel, and which ways to increase it naturally are backed by human research, from exercise and food to supplements.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Exercise has the best evidence. Moderate-intensity running raised blood anandamide in human studies; very easy or very hard exercise did not.
• Food has a small role. Cocoa contains tiny amounts of anandamide and related compounds.
• Your body makes anandamide on demand and breaks it down within minutes, which is why there is no quick way to “top it up”.
• Supplements are another option. PEA and OEA, close relatives of anandamide, help it work in lab studies.
• Anandamide is not CBD or THC, and it does not produce a high.

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Anandamide with PEA, OEA and L-theanine to support balanced mood and motivation. No CBD or THC.

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What Does Anandamide Do?

Anandamide is part of the endocannabinoid system, a signaling network found throughout the brain and body. Cells make anandamide from fats in their own membranes when they need it, it acts on nearby cannabinoid receptors (mainly CB1 in the brain), and then an enzyme called FAAH breaks it down quickly. That short, local burst is how it helps fine-tune:

• Mood and sense of well-being
• How the body responds to and recovers from stress
• Motivation and reward
• Appetite and energy balance
• Pain signaling

It also plays a part in inflammation; see anandamide and inflammation.

THC from cannabis works partly by mimicking anandamide at the same CB1 receptors, but it lasts far longer and acts everywhere at once. Anandamide itself is tightly controlled, which is why it does not produce a high. Our anandamide ingredient page covers the science in more depth.

How Does Anandamide Make You Feel?

Not in any way you would notice from one moment to the next. The clearest human example is the “runner’s high”: in a 2026 field study of trained runners, anandamide rose steadily during a marathon and stayed raised 45 minutes after, and marathon running was linked with more euphoria than walking (Siebers et al., 2026). That calm, content, slightly elevated feeling after a good run is the closest thing to what higher anandamide feels like.

How to Increase Anandamide Naturally

1. Exercise at a moderate intensity

This is the best-supported way to boost anandamide. When recreational runners ran on a treadmill at four different intensities, blood endocannabinoids rose only at moderate intensities; very easy and very hard efforts did not change them significantly (Raichlen et al., 2013). In the marathon study above, anandamide kept climbing the longer people ran, while walking caused only modest changes. Practical target: a pace where you can still speak in short sentences, for at least 30 minutes.

2. Foods: chocolate and healthy fats

A 1996 study found that cocoa contains anandamide and two related compounds that may slow its breakdown (di Tomaso et al., 1996). The amounts are tiny, though. Because the body builds anandamide from fats in cell membranes, a diet with enough healthy fats, including omega-3s from fish, walnuts or flax, supports the raw materials, but there is no specific “anandamide diet” with proven results.

3. Sleep and stress

Sleep and stress both affect the endocannabinoid system, but human studies have not shown a simple way to raise anandamide through them. Good sleep and stress management are still worth doing for mood and resilience. For evidence-based options, see best natural supplements for stress and mood.

4. Supplements: PEA, OEA and anandamide

PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) and OEA (oleoylethanolamide) are close chemical relatives of anandamide that the body makes alongside it. In lab studies, both made anandamide’s effects stronger, a so-called “entourage effect” (Ho et al., 2008). Anandamide itself is also sold as a supplement, usually alongside PEA and OEA. More in anandamide supplements for mood.

For PEA on its own, see our guide to palmitoylethanolamide (PEA).

Buying Anandamide Supplements: Pills and Powder

If you want to try an anandamide supplement, look for:

• Every amount on the label. Anandamide, PEA and OEA listed separately in milligrams, not hidden in a blend.
• Third-party tested ingredients.
• No CBD or THC, unless that is what you are looking for.
• Capsules over loose powder for a consistent, measured amount each day.

Our Anandamide Supplement gives 600 mg of anandamide, 150 mg of PEA, 100 mg of OEA and 100 mg of L-theanine per two-capsule serving, with ginger extract and vegan capsules as the other ingredients. The label suggests two capsules daily in the morning, with or without food. It contains no CBD or THC. It is also part of our Mood Stack, and OEA is available on its own as our OEA Supplement. Our anandamide supplement FAQ answers common questions about what is in it and how to use it. Before you buy, our guide to how to choose an anandamide supplement covers what to compare on the label.

Safety

• Exercise is the safest way to raise anandamide; build up gradually.
• Supplements have limited long-term safety data. Talk with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medication, or have a medical condition.
• Cannabis products act on the same system; check with your clinician before combining them with anandamide supplements.

Sources

• Siebers M et al. Endocannabinoid dynamics across marathon and ultramarathon running: evidence from two field studies. BMC Med, 2026. PubMed
• Raichlen DA et al. Exercise-induced endocannabinoid signaling is modulated by intensity. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2013. PubMed
• di Tomaso E et al. Brain cannabinoids in chocolate. Nature, 1996. PubMed
• Ho WS et al. 'Entourage' effects of N-palmitoylethanolamide and N-oleoylethanolamide on vasorelaxation to anandamide occur through TRPV1 receptors. Br J Pharmacol, 2008. PubMed

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I increase anandamide naturally?

Moderate aerobic exercise has the best human evidence: running or cycling at a conversational but challenging pace for 30 minutes or more raised blood anandamide in studies. Food, sleep and stress management play smaller or unproven roles.

What does anandamide do?

It is one of the body’s own endocannabinoids. It helps regulate mood, the stress response, motivation, appetite and pain signaling, and is made on demand and broken down within minutes.

How does anandamide make you feel?

Not in a way you would notice moment to moment. The closest example is the calm, content feeling of a runner’s high, which has been linked to rising anandamide during long runs.

Why is anandamide called the bliss molecule?

Its name comes from the Sanskrit word ananda, meaning joy or bliss, chosen by the scientists who identified it in 1992.

What foods increase anandamide?

Cocoa and dark chocolate contain small amounts of anandamide and related compounds. A diet with enough healthy fats supports the raw materials.

Is anandamide the same as CBD or THC?

No. Anandamide is made by your own body. THC mimics it at the same receptors, and CBD is a different plant compound. Our Anandamide Supplement contains no CBD or THC.

Can you buy anandamide pills or powder?

Yes, anandamide is sold as a supplement, usually in capsules alongside PEA and OEA.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.

Featured in this article

Anandamide Supplement

Anandamide with PEA, OEA and L-theanine to support balanced mood and motivation. No CBD or THC.

Shop Anandamide Supplement

Third-party tested ingredients. Vegan, non-GMO, made in the USA.